Vehicle, In Particular Rail Vehicle, With A Passenger Region And A Luggage Region

ABSTRACT

A vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes a passenger region and a luggage region. The passenger region and the luggage region are separate and at least one luggage input device for transferring luggage from the passenger region into the luggage region, and at least one luggage output device for transferring luggage from the luggage region into the passenger region are provided. The luggage region is equipped with a luggage transport device which, when an item of luggage is delivering to the luggage input device, transports the respective piece of luggage to a storage point of the luggage region and, when there is a return request at the luggage output device, transports the respective item of luggage to the luggage output device. A luggage storage device for a vehicle and a method for storing luggage in a vehicle are also provided.

The invention relates to vehicles, in particular rail vehicles, whichare provided with passenger regions and luggage regions.

In current conventional rail vehicles, items of luggage belonging to thepassengers are stowed in luggage racks above the seats or in luggageshelf racks.

Luggage racks which are arranged above the seats in the region of theside wall or the ceiling of the rail vehicles are described for examplein the German laid-open application DE 10 2007 052 493 A1 and in theGerman utility model DE 20 2010 013 488 U1. A disadvantage of luggageracks above the seats is that these cannot always be used in the case ofparticularly heavy or particularly large items of luggage. This meansthat seat regions are often used to store luggage, whereby the usableseating capacity is reduced.

Luggage racks which enable luggage to be stored close to the ground andwhich are thus also suitable for heavy items of luggage reduce thepassenger capacity of the rail vehicles to a significant extent.

The object of the invention is to specify a vehicle, in particular arail vehicle, in which the problem of luggage storage is solved moreeffectively than with previous vehicles.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a vehiclehaving the features according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments ofthe vehicle according to the invention are specified in dependentclaims.

In accordance with the invention, provision is therefore made for thepassenger region and the luggage region to be separate and for there tobe at least one luggage input device for transferring luggage from thepassenger region into the luggage region, and at least one luggageoutput device for transferring luggage from the luggage region into thepassenger region, and for the luggage region to be equipped with aluggage transport device which, when an item of luggage is delivered tothe luggage input device, transports the respective item of luggage to astorage point of the luggage region and, when there is a return requestat the luggage output device, transports the respective item of luggageto the luggage output device.

A key advantage of the invention lies in the automated luggage storageby means of the luggage transport device provided in accordance with theinvention, which enables even heavy items of luggage to be delivered andstored. A placement of luggage on seats can thus be avoided.

A further key advantage of the invention is considered the fact thataccess by unauthorized individuals to items of luggage is prevented orat least hindered due to the separation of the luggage region and thepassenger region; this is because access pre-supposes an authorizedreturn request at the luggage output device. Passengers can thus leavetheir seat without having to worry about the luggage left behind.

The separation between luggage region and passenger region is preferablytechnically secured, for example via cameras and/or alarm devices, inorder to prevent or hinder unauthorized access to luggage.

The luggage input device and the luggage output device can be separatedevices which are arranged at a distance from one another at differentpoints of the passenger region. However, it is considered to beparticularly advantageous when the luggage input device and the luggageoutput device are formed by an input and output station which performsthe function of the luggage input device and the function of the luggageoutput device and enables a luggage input, an input of a return request,and the luggage output.

In order to enable particularly heavy items of luggage to be deliveredand returned in a simple manner, it is considered to be advantageouswhen the luggage input device and the luggage output device are arrangedin the floor region of the passenger region at floor level or close tothe floor (i.e. at a height of at most 20 cm) and when luggage can beinput and output at floor level or at a level close to the floor.

With a view to an optimal utilization of the internal volume of thevehicle, it is considered to be advantageous when the passenger regionand the luggage region are arranged on different levels of the vehicleand the luggage transport device has a lifting device, which transportsthe items of luggage between the two levels. The luggage region can bearranged for example above the passenger region or alternatively belowthe passenger region.

In order to enable a simple and reliable assignment of items of luggageto the respective passengers, it is considered to be advantageous whenthe vehicle has a passenger identification device, which, before,during, or after the luggage delivery, detects passenger identificationdata, in particular in the form of a ticket number or identity number,and assigns this to the respective item of luggage.

For luggage identification in the case of a passenger return request,the vehicle preferably has a luggage identification device, which,before, during, or after input of a return request, detects luggageand/or passenger identification data, in particular in the form of aticket number or identity number, and identifies the item(s) of luggageto be output on the basis of the luggage and/or passenger identificationdata.

The luggage output device is preferably designed in such a way that, inthe event that a number of items of luggage have been determined for therespective passenger identification data, it offers the passenger achoice as to which of the items of luggage is/are to be output.

In order to store a large number of items of luggage, it is consideredto be advantageous when the luggage region has a large number of storagepoints. In order to manage the storage points, the vehicle preferablyhas a storage management device, which chooses the respective storagepoint when an item of luggage is input.

The luggage can be deposited in the storage points in a seat-basedmanner, for example in such a way that each of the seats in thepassenger region is assigned a certain storage point in the luggageregion. In other words, in the case of such an embodiment, therespective seat or reserved seat would decide the storage point of theluggage.

However, it is considered to be better when luggage is stored withoutseating reference (“chaotically”); the storage management devicepreferably determines the storage point on the basis of the destinationof the passenger inputting the respective item of luggage.

With a view to minimal return times in the case of a return request foritems of luggage, it is considered to be advantageous when the storagemanagement device is designed in such a way that it selects a nearbystorage point requiring a short transport path within the luggage regionin the case of a close destination of the passenger, and a far storagepoint requiring a longer transport path within the luggage regioncompared to a nearby storage point in the case of a distant destination.

In order to ensure an optimal storage of the items of luggage in thestorage points of the luggage region during the journey, it isconsidered to be advantageous when the storage management device isdesigned in such a way that it can allow a rearrangement of the items ofluggage within the luggage region such that items of luggage of whichthe destination will be reached first and which are expected to bereturned earlier accordingly are relocated to storage points which areclose to the luggage output device, and items of luggage of which thedestination will be reached later and which are expected to be returnedlater accordingly are relocated to storage points which are further awayfrom the luggage output device.

The invention additionally relates to a luggage storage device for avehicle, in particular a vehicle as has been described above. A luggagestorage device of this type preferably comprises:

-   -   at least one luggage input device,    -   at least one luggage output device,    -   a luggage transport device which, when an item of luggage is        delivered to the luggage input device, transports the respective        item of luggage to a storage point of a luggage region and, when        there is a return request at the luggage output device,        transports the respective item of luggage to the luggage output        device for the purpose of outputting said item of luggage, and    -   a storage management device, which selects the respective        storage point of the luggage when an item of luggage is input.

It is considered to be particularly advantageous when the luggagestorage device additionally comprises:

-   -   a passenger identification device, which, before, during, or        after the luggage delivery, detects passenger identification        data, in particular in the form of a ticket number or identity        number, and assigns this to the delivered item of luggage,        and/or    -   a luggage identification device, which, before, during, or after        input of a return request, detects luggage and/or passenger        identification data, in particular in the form of a ticket        number or identity number, and determines the item(s) of luggage        delivered for the respective data on the basis of the luggage        and/or passenger identification data.

The invention additionally relates to an input and output station for aluggage storage device as has been described above. An input and outputstation of this type is preferably designed in such a way that it canperform the function of a luggage input device and the function of aluggage output device and enables a luggage input, an input of a returnrequest, and a luggage output.

The invention additionally relates to a method for storing luggage in avehicle, in particular rail vehicle, which is provided with a passengerregion and a luggage region.

With regard to a method of this type, provision is made in accordancewith the invention for the passenger region and the luggage region to beseparate and for there to be at least one luggage input device fortransferring luggage from the passenger region into the luggage region,and at least one luggage output device for transferring luggage from theluggage region into the passenger region, and, when an item of luggageis delivered to the luggage input device, for the respective item ofluggage to be transported to a storage point of the luggage region and,when there is a return request at the luggage output device, for therespective item of luggage to be transported to the luggage outputdevice.

With regard to the advantages of the method according to the invention,reference should be made to the above comments provided in conjunctionwith the vehicle according to the invention, since the advantages of themethod according to the invention correspond to those of the vehicleaccording to the invention.

The luggage is preferably input and output in the floor region of thepassenger region, preferably at floor level or close to the floor.

With a view to an optimal utilization of space, it is considered to beadvantageous when the passenger region and the luggage region arearranged on different levels of the vehicle and the luggage istransported with use of a lifting device, by means of which the items ofluggage are transported between the two levels.

Passenger identification data, in particular in the form of a ticketnumber or identity number, are preferably detected before, during, orafter the luggage delivery and are assigned to the respective item ofluggage.

Luggage and/or passenger identification data, in particular in the formof a ticket number or identity number, are preferably detected before,during, or after input of a return request, and the item(s) of luggageto be output is/are determined on the basis of said data.

In the case that a number of items of luggage have been determined forthe respective passenger identification data, it is preferably askedwhich of the items of luggage is/are to be output.

The storage point in the luggage region is preferably selected at leastalso on the basis of the destination of the passenger delivering therespective item of luggage.

In the case of a close destination of the passenger, a nearby storagepoint requiring a short transport path within the luggage region ispreferably selected; in the case of a distant destination, a far storagepoint requiring a longer transport path within the luggage regioncompared with a nearby storage point is preferably selected.

It is considered to be particularly advantageous when the items ofluggage are rearranged within the luggage region—preferably while thevehicle is travelling—such that the items of luggage of which thedestination will be reached first and which are expected to be returnedearlier accordingly are relocated to storage points close to the luggageoutput device, and items of luggage of which the destination will bereached later and which are expected to be returned later accordinglyare relocated to storage points further away from the luggage outputdevice.

The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter on thebasis of exemplary embodiments; here, by way of example:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a rail vehicle according to theinvention in a view from the side,

FIG. 2 shows a luggage region of the rail vehicle according to FIG. 1 ina plan view, and

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a control device which can beused in the rail vehicle according to FIGS. 1 and 2 to control anautomatic luggage storage system.

In the figures, for the sake of clarity, the same reference signs arealways used for identical or comparable components.

FIG. 1 shows an interior 10 of a rail vehicle 20 illustrated only inpart. The rail vehicle 20 has a luggage region 30 and a passenger region40, which is physically separate from the luggage region 30. In theexemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the luggage region 30 and thepassenger region 40 are disposed on different levels; in FIG. 1 it canthus be seen that the luggage region 30 is arranged above the passengerregion 40.

The passenger region 40 is provided with seats 41, which are mounted onor secured to the floor 42 of the passenger region 40. In order todeliver items of luggage 50, an input and output station 60 is providedin the passenger region 40 and is preferably installed directly on thefloor 42 of the passenger region 40, or at least close to the floor. Anarrangement of the input and output station 60 at floor level or closeto the floor is advantageous in order to enable items of luggage 50 tobe input into the input and output station 60 and also to enable itemsof luggage 50 to be removed from the input and output station 60 withoutany lifting effort or with only little lifting effort.

The input and output station 60 is connected via a luggage transportdevice 70 to the luggage region 30 arranged above the passenger region40. Since the luggage region 30 and the passenger region 40 are disposedon different levels, the luggage transport device 70 is provided with alifting device 71, which enables the items of luggage 50 input into theinput and output station 60 in the passenger region 40 to be lifted tothe level of the luggage region 30.

The input and output station 60 is operated by passengers by means of anoperating device 61, which is mounted externally on the input and outputstation 60. The operating device 61 is connected to a control device 80,which can be arranged in the region of the input and output station60—as illustrated in FIG. 1—or at another point in the rail vehicle 20.The control device 80 controls the operation of the input and outputstation 60 and also the operation of the luggage transport device 70,and manages the storage points 90 provided for the luggage 50 in theluggage region 30.

FIG. 2 shows the luggage region 30 of the rail vehicle 20 according toFIG. 1 in a plan view. A conveyor belt 72 of the luggage transportdevice 70, which is connected to the lifting device 71 and enables itemsof luggage 50 to be transported from the lifting device 71 to thestorage points 90, can be seen. In order to enable the items of luggage50 to be transported in automated form within the storage points 90 aswell, the luggage transport device 70 is preferably provided in theregion of the storage points 90 with driven or drivable rollers 73.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the control device 80 accordingto FIG. 1 in greater detail. A computing device 81, which is connectedto a memory 82, can be seen. Three control program modules or softwaremodules are stored in the memory 82, specifically a passengeridentification module SM1, a luggage identification module SM2, and alsoa storage management module SM3.

If the computing device 81 runs the passenger identification module SM1,it functions as a passenger identification device, which, before,during, or after the delivery of an item of luggage 50 to the input andoutput station 60 according to FIG. 1, detects passenger identificationdata input by the passengers at the operating device 61 according toFIG. 1, and which for example can be ticket numbers or identity numbers,and assigns these data to the delivered item of luggage 50. Thepassenger identification data are preferably stored in a memory portion82 a of the memory 82, for example jointly with the specification of therespective storage point 90 at which the delivered item of luggage 50 isstored.

If the computing device 81 runs the luggage identification module SM2,it functions as a luggage identification device, which, before, during,or after input of a return request, retrieves or detects luggage and/orpassenger identification data, in particular in the form of a ticketnumber or identity number, via the operating device 61 of the input andoutput station 60 and determines the item(s) of luggage matching therespective data on the basis of the luggage and/or passengeridentification data.

If the computing device 81 runs the storage management module SM3, itfunctions as a storage management device, which selects the respectivestorage point 90 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) when an item of luggage 50 is inputand—if advantageous—redistributes the items of luggage in the luggageregion 30 or in the storage points 90 at a later moment in time.

The memory portion 82 a of the memory 82 allows the computing device 81to store the data collected within the scope of the luggage acceptance,luggage output, and storage management: the computing device 81 forexample thus stores, in the memory portion 82 a, the passengeridentification data detected with delivery of items of luggage. Thecomputing device 81 also uses the memory portion 82 a to store therespective storage points 90 for the delivered items of luggage 50 inorder to find the corresponding items of luggage when there is a returnrequest for luggage and in order to transport these to the input andoutput station 60 via the luggage transport device 70.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, the input andoutput stations 60, the luggage transport device 70, the control device80, and the storage points 90 form a luggage storage device for the railvehicle 20. This luggage storage device can be operated for example asfollows:

If a passenger wishes to deliver an item of luggage 50 to the input andoutput station 60 according to FIG. 1, said passenger will inputpassenger identification data via the operating device 61, for examplein the form of a ticket number or an identity number, at the operatingdevice 61. The passenger identification data are detected by the controldevice 80 and stored in the memory portion 82 a of the memory 82. Thecontrol device 80 additionally determines a suitable storage point 90 inthe luggage region 30 of the rail vehicle 20. The control device 80 willpreferably select the respective storage point 90 on the basis of therespective destination of the passenger inputting the respective item ofluggage. The control device 80 will preferably select a nearby storagepoint requiring a short transport path within the luggage region in thecase of a close destination of the passenger, and will preferably selecta far storage point requiring a longer transport path within the luggageregion compared with a nearby storage point in the case of a distantdestination.

Once the control device 80 has found or determined a suitable storagepoint 90, it controls the luggage transport device 70, i.e. the liftingdevice 71, the conveyor belt 72 and also the drivable rollers 73, insuch a way that the delivered item of luggage reaches the respectivestorage point 90 and is stored there. The respective storage point isstored in the memory portion 82 a together with the associated passengeridentification data, so that a passenger-specific return of luggage ispossible in the event of a return request for luggage.

If a return request is input at the operating device 61 by a passenger,the control device 80 will retrieve or detect the respective passengeridentification data, in particular in the form of a ticket number oridentity number, via the operating device 61 and, on the basis of thepassenger identification data and the entries in the memory portion 82 aof the memory 82, will determine the items of luggage delivered for therespective passenger identification data. In the event that a number ofitems of luggage are determined or have been stored in the luggageregion 30 for the respective passenger identification data, the controldevice 80 will provide the respective passenger with a choice via theoperating device 61 as to which of the items of luggage is/are to beoutput.

As already mentioned, the storage points 90 are preferably selecteddepending on the respective destination of the passenger, wherein it isassumed when selecting the storage points 90 that passengers willrequest a return of their luggage shortly before reaching theirrespective destination. In order to always ensure minimal luggage returntimes, the control device 80 will preferably rearrange items of luggagewithin the luggage region 30 during the journey and will transport itemsof luggage for which an output is imminent or is shortly anticipated tostorage points 90 which are as close as possible to the input and outputstation 60. Items of luggage of which the destination will be reachedlater and which are expected to be returned later accordingly arepreferably relocated to storage points arranged further from the luggageoutput device.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, merely a singleinput and output station 60 is provided for the luggage region 30;alternatively, a number of input and output stations 60 can also beprovided.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greaterdetail by preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limitedby the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived herefromby a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope ofprotection of the invention.

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A vehicle or a rail vehicle, comprising: apassenger region and a luggage region being separate from one another,said luggage region being equipped with a luggage transport device andstorage points; at least one luggage input device for transferringluggage from said passenger region into said luggage region; at leastone luggage output device for transferring luggage from said luggageregion into said passenger region; said luggage transport devicetransporting a respective item of luggage to one of said storage pointsof said luggage region upon said item of luggage being delivered to saidat least one luggage input device; and said luggage transport devicetransporting a respective item of luggage to said at least one luggageoutput device upon a return request at said at least one luggage outputdevice.
 17. The vehicle according to claim 16, which further comprisesan input and output station forming said at least one luggage inputdevice and said at least one luggage output device, said an input andoutput station performing functions of said at least one luggage inputdevice and said at least one luggage output device and enabling aluggage input, an input of a return request, and a luggage output. 18.The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said passenger region has afloor defining a floor region and a floor level, and said at least oneluggage input device and said at least one luggage output device aredisposed in said floor region at said floor level or in a vicinity ofsaid floor permitting luggage to be input and output at said floor levelor in said vicinity of said floor.
 19. The vehicle according to claim16, wherein the vehicle has two different levels, said passenger regionand said luggage region are each disposed on a respective one of saidtwo different levels, and said luggage transport device has a liftingdevice transporting the items of luggage between said two differentlevels.
 20. The vehicle according to claim 16, which further comprises apassenger identification device detecting passenger identification databefore, during or after a luggage delivery and assigning the passengeridentification data to a respective item of luggage.
 21. The vehicleaccording to claim 20, wherein the passenger identification data are inthe form of a ticket number or an identity number.
 22. The vehicleaccording to claim 16, which further comprises a luggage identificationdevice detecting at least one of luggage or passenger identificationdata before, during, or after input of a return request and identifyingat least one item of luggage to be output based on the data.
 23. Thevehicle according to claim 22, wherein said at least one of luggage orpassenger identification data are in the form of a ticket number oridentity number.
 24. The vehicle according to claim 22, wherein said atleast one luggage output device is configured to offer a respectivepassenger a choice as to which items of luggage are to be output upondetermining a plurality of items of luggage for respective passengeridentification data.
 25. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein:said luggage region has a multiplicity of said storage points; and astorage management device selects a respective one of said storagepoints when an item of luggage is input.
 26. The vehicle according toclaim 25, wherein said storage management device selects said storagepoint based on a destination of the passenger inputting a respectiveitem of luggage.
 27. The vehicle according to claim 26, wherein saidstorage management device is configured to select: a relatively nearbystorage point requiring a short transport path within said luggageregion if the passenger is traveling to a relatively close destination,and a relatively far storage point requiring a longer transport pathwithin said luggage region than said relatively nearby storage point ifthe passenger is traveling to a relatively distant destination.
 28. Thevehicle according to claim 25, wherein said storage management device isconfigured to allow a rearrangement of the items of luggage within saidluggage region to cause: items of luggage having a destination whichwill be reached first and are expected to be returned earlier to berelocated to storage points being relatively closer to said at least oneluggage output device, and items of luggage having a destination whichwill be reached later and are expected to be returned later to berelocated to storage points being relatively further away from said atleast one luggage output device.
 29. A luggage storage device for avehicle or a rail vehicle, the luggage storage device comprising: atleast one luggage input device; at least one luggage output device; aluggage transport device: transporting an item of luggage delivered tosaid at least one luggage input device to one of said storage points ofsaid luggage region according to claim 16, and transporting therespective item of luggage to said at least one luggage output deviceupon a return request at said at least one luggage output device; and astorage management device selecting a respective one of said storagepoints upon an item of luggage being input.
 30. The luggage storagedevice according to claim 29, which further comprises: a passengeridentification device detecting passenger identification data before,during, or after a luggage delivery and assigning said passengeridentification data to a delivered item of luggage; and a luggageidentification device detecting at least one of luggage or passengeridentification data before, during, or after an input of a returnrequest and determining at least one item of luggage to be output basedon the at least one of luggage or passenger identification data.
 31. Theluggage storage device according to claim 30, wherein said passengeridentification data are in the form of a ticket number or identitynumber, and said at least one of luggage or passenger identificationdata are in the form of a ticket number or identity number.
 32. An inputand output station for a luggage storage device, the input and outputstation comprising: means for performing a function of said at least oneluggage input device and a function of said at least one luggage outputdevice according to claim 16 and for enabling a luggage input, an inputof a return request, and a luggage output.
 33. An input and outputstation for a luggage storage device, the input and output stationcomprising: means for performing a function of said at least one luggageinput device and a function of said at least one luggage output deviceaccording to claim 29 and for enabling a luggage input, an input of areturn request, and a luggage output.
 34. A method for storing luggagein a vehicle or a rail vehicle, the method comprising the followingsteps: providing a passenger region; providing a luggage region beingseparate from the passenger region and having storage points; using atleast one luggage input device disposed between the passenger region andthe luggage region for transferring luggage from the passenger regioninto the luggage region; using at least one luggage output devicedisposed between the passenger region and the luggage region fortransferring luggage from the luggage region into the passenger region;transporting a respective item of luggage delivered to the luggage inputdevice to one of the storage points of the luggage region; andtransporting a respective item of luggage to the luggage output deviceupon a return request at the luggage output device.